Ackman's Pershing Square Holdings off 24.5 pct YTD

NEW YORK Nov 18 (Reuters) - Billionaire hedge fund manager
William Ackman's Pershing Square Holdings portfolio has lost
24.5 percent this year, extending its fall this week as its
biggest holding, Valeant Pharmaceuticals, declined further, the
company said on its website.

Valeant's stock price has tumbled 72 percent from
its high this summer with the losses accelerating in recent
weeks amid questions about the company's accounting and business
practices and criticisms for price gouging. It has lost 11
percent in the last five days.

Ackman's $14.5 billion Pershing Square Capital Management
paid roughly $186 per share for its 21.4 million shares of
Valeant. The stock closed at $72.58 on Wednesday. Last year, the
hedge fund was one of the industry's best performers with a 40
percent gain.

Pershing Square has several portfolios with Pershing Square
Holdings being the most aggressive, so the losses are modestly
less at its other portfolios, a person familiar with the
numbers.